Without her
by ehtsuperstar
Summary: Edward and Bella are insperable. But then something happens that could tear them apart forever. Could Edward survive without Bella- without his soul?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer, not me.**

**Edward and Bella are more in love than ever and inseparable. But what if something happens that could keep them apart forever? All human.**

Bella's POV

The girl that stared back at me from the mirror was slim with brown hair that was artfully arranged into a bun. She wore long, diamond earrings that sparkled in the light. She was dressed in a glittering dress that flowed to her knees. It was a shade of light blue that reminded me of the ocean. She was well, beautiful.

"So, what do you think?" I turned to see my best friend Alice Cullen, bouncing up and down in excitement. Without waiting for me to answer, she exclaimed, "You're gorgeous!"

I chuckled lightly and glanced at her fondly. Her energy never ceased to amaze me. She was like a little energizer bunny that kept going and going…

"You do too."

It was true. Alice had straightened her short, black hair that was usually spikier. She was dressed in a floor-length halter red dress that fit her figure perfectly. Her makeup extenuated her exotic beauty and her glittering earrings completed the look.

"I told you this was going to be a good idea." Alice had pestered me for the last few weeks to go to prom. I usually avoided dances like the plague, but refusing Alice was hard enough. Then, she had enlisted Charlie's help and with both of them pressuring me, I had agreed.

I muttered out an unintelligible response and shrugged. I didn't have to say anything. Alice was already beaming, knowing she was right. Instead of fueling the fire, I turned towards the window. A red convertible was idling in the driveway, next to the parked limousine that was supposed to take us to prom.

"Jasper and Rosalie are here." I felt some of Alice's excitement seep into me at the prospect of seeing my friends.

Alice's excitement shot up. "I can't wait to see Jazz!" She bounded out the door, pulling me with her. I followed her out into the hall and down the Cullen's huge staircase.

Jasper and Rosalie were already standing at the bottom. Jasper was dressed in a tuxedo, looking handsome. He was holding a huge bouquet of roses. His face lit up the second he saw Alice. She danced to his side and they gazed at each other. The moment was so private that I felt the need to look away.

Rosalie was standing next to him, looking even more beautiful than usual. Her silky blonde hair was twisted up into an elaborate bun. She was wearing a glittering pink dress that flowed over her curves and made her look graceful.

The door opened and Emmett strode in. He grinned at Alice, Jasper, and me before taking Rose into his arms. They began to kiss so passionately that Jasper exclaimed, "Get a room!" Again, I felt the urge to look away- not because they wanted privacy, but because I thought I would be sick if I watched their intimacy anymore.

The door opened again and I felt as though my heart would stop. It was Edward. He was dressed in a tuxedo and looked more amazing than anyone had the right to. He smiled crookedly and kissed me lightly. I leaned into the kiss but it was over all too soon. Pulling away, Edward murmured, "You look beautiful."

"You do to." I said, "I mean- you look beautiful the way a guy would- I mean you look handsome." My face burned as I noticed how stupid I sounded.

Edward chuckled and kissed me again. His grin widened when he realized how much this affected me.

The door opened again and Carlisle and Esme Cullen walked in, hand in hand. Esme was one of the sweetest women I had ever met and Carlisle was extremely caring. They were made for each other and deeply and completely in love.

"Hi sweetie," Esme said, giving me a quick hug. I noticed the camera in her hand a moment before Edward did.

"Mom," he complained.

Emmett echoed his dismay, and Alice looked impatient. "We have to get going!" she urged.

"It will just take a moment." Carlisle said.

Esme nodded in agreement, "Couples first."

Jasper sighed good-naturedly and stepped forward with Alice. Their arms were around each other and they could barely keep their eyes off each other. It was incredible how different they were- Alice was tiny and so full of life, while Jasper was taller and so much more serious and thoughtful. Yet, they were perfect for each other- like two halves of a whole.

Emmett and Rose were next. I was amazed that they had stopped kissing long enough to take the picture. With their arms encircled around each other, they both grinned into the camera. Unlike Alice and Jasper, their relationship was mostly physical but they made each other happier than anything else in the world.

Esme motioned for Edward and me to step forward. I leaned into his arms grinning. I knew I wouldn't forget this night and I was grateful that Alice had forced me to go.

Several pictures later, Edward pulled me aside, ignoring his brother's cat calls. "I have something for you," he murmured, pulling out a corsage made of lilacs that went perfectly with my dress.

I let him pin it on me and then kissed him. "I love you," I whispered.

"Me too," he murmured, "More than you can imagine."

"Come on you love birds." Alice interrupted, "The limo's waiting." She rolled her eyes at us, obviously exasperated.

**I decided to break this chapter into two parts since this was getting too long. So, please, please, please review. I love to hear from you guys. Tell me whether you like this story and if you want me to continue or not. Any ideas, suggestions or tips are welcome. More reviews = me happier. And me happier = faster updates.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyy,**

**Please, please review and let me know whether I should continue or not. I'll update again when I get some more reviews. Thanks again :]**

**-ehtsuperstar**

The school had been transformed into something out of a fairy tale. Dozens of sparkling lights adorned the nearby trees. Benches that I had never seen were spaced out along the path leading to the woods.

"It looks amazing," I said, grinning at Alice. She had been on the planning committee for prom and I knew how much time and effort she had spent on making everything perfect.

Edward nodded in agreement; "I can't even tell it's our school." The pride in his voice was evident. He was extremely close to his little sister and loved to see her succeed.

Alice beamed at us as Emmett and Rose chorused their agreement. "Thank you guys!"

Jasper kissed her lightly. He murmured something to her, so softly that I could barely hear them. Whatever it was caused her face to light up. Then they kissed again.

I turned to see that Edward was stiff in his seat. He was very protective of Alice. He had only just come to terms with her relationship with Jasper and he still hated the idea of his little sister with anyone.

Alice noticed his glare and stuck her tongue out at him. Then her excitement was back. "I can't wait until you see the inside!"

We trailed after her as she bounded out of the limo and into the school's cafeteria. The tables were gone. Gold and red streamers hung from the wall and a red carpet lay in the center of the floor.

"It's gorgeous!"

Alice beamed again before grabbing Jasper and joining the other couples that were already dancing on the make-shift dance floor. Emmett and Rose followed them. Edward turned to me and bowed. "Shall we dance?"

I groaned, but he ignored this. "Come on," he urged looking into my eyes. I was suddenly lost in the pool of delicious ochre and felt my heart stop.

"So what do you think?"

"Mmm…" I murmured, suddenly forgetting what we had been discussing.

Edward grinned triumphantly and led me to the dance floor. I scowled at him when I realized what he had done. "That's not fair," I complained, "You dazzled me!"

Edward just chuckled, pulling me closer. He sang along softly with the music. "Dance with me tonight, let my spirit free…" I rested my head against his shoulder and was surprised to find that I was enjoying myself. Maybe Alice had been right- this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The slow song ended, but Edward and I still remained close. We were swarmed by many of our friends including Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper. Alice grabbed my hand and I spun her around. She giggled, giddy.

The next few dances sped by in a blur of music. I didn't know how long it was, but suddenly everything was spinning. My feet gave way and I was lying on the ground. I made to get up, but I couldn't find the energy to.

My friends crowded around me and their faces swum together. I heard frantic cries, and people talking but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

Then I blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Bella," I groaned at the sound of Alice's voice. Couldn't she just leave me alone? God, I was so tired. "Bella!"

"Go away!" My exclamation came out sounding like unintelligible garble.

"Bella, please." The voice that spoke now was full of concern. My heart skipped a beat as I felt a familiar pressure on my shoulder. Edward.

Taking a shuddering breath, I forced myself to open my eyes. The bright light of the cafeteria nearly blinded me and I blinked several times, hoping that my eyes would adjust. After a few moments, I was able to make out my friends' faces around me, their eyes wide with concern.

There was only one face that I was looking for. Edward sat crouched by my side, his mouth in a taut line of pain. I hated to see him this way. Forcing a smile onto my face, I turned to him. "Want to help me up?"

His arms wrapped around me, sending a jolt of electricity down my spine. I leaned against his frame for support and struggled to my feet. A wave of fatigue hit me and I stumbled slightly against Edward. He caught me with ease and kept his arms around me as I answered my friends' concerned questions.

The crowd around me broke apart after what seemed like years. When they left, I felt Edward stiffen slightly. "What's going on, Bella? Are you okay? We should get you to the hospital-"

"No!" I interrupted sharply, my heart skipping a beat. If we went to the hospital, he would find out what was wrong. He would know that I had cancer. I shivered as I remembered the conversation that we had had only a month before.

_It had been my sixteenth birthday and we had gone out to dinner. Afterwards, we had taken a stroll along the beach and talked for hours about everything. As the night drew to a close, he had told me how much he loved me. I could still picture the look on his face as he pointed to the sky. "Bella, those stars are my family, my friends. And you- you're like the sun. While you're away, they provide me with tiny pinpricks of light. But you're the only thing that truly matters. Without you, I don't know how I would survive. When you came into my life, you outshone everything that I had ever seen before. I love you, so, so much."_

"Bella!"

Seeing Edward's concerned look I forced a smile onto my face. "I just fell, that's all."

He still remained doubtful.

"Come on," I urged, pulling him back towards the dance floor, "You're making me miss prom!"

He chuckled, "Since when do you like dances?"

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Since I realized how much fun they could be."

He grinned and followed me onto the dance floor, enveloping me in his arms. The smell of his aftershave was intoxicating and I leaned in so that we were nose to nose.

"No more falling, okay?" He murmured, his voice half teasing.

I couldn't keep from smiling back, "I'll try."

**Sorry, this took so long! Review, review, review! It only takes a moment and it makes me very happy. Constructive criticism is much appreciated (it helps me write better). If any of you have suggestions for what you would like to happen, let me know, and I'll try to incorporate it into the story. So review! =D The more reviews I get, the quicker I'll update!**


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